Learning outcomes in classroom settings are impacted by many components of the course structure and delivery. One of these is positive regard from the instructor as perceived by students. Similarly, perceived positive regard is an important aspect of learning outcomes in a distance education environment, although the ways in which regard are shown…

To investigate possible iPad related mode effect, we tested 403 8th graders in Indiana, Maryland, and New Jersey under three mode conditions through random assignment: a desktop computer, an iPad alone, and an iPad with an external keyboard. All students had used an iPad or computer for six months or longer. The 2-hour test included reading, math,…

We report on the scaling up of a high school content literacy framework, Reading Apprenticeship, over a period of four years as part of the independent evaluation of an Investing in Innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Education to WestEd's Strategic Literacy Institute (SLI). Our goal was to understand the school processes that support…

Learning objects have quickly become a widely accepted approach to instructional technology, particularly in on-line and computer-based learning environments. While there is a substantial body of literature concerning learning objects, very little of it verifies their efficacy. This research investigated the effectiveness of learning objects by…

The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of the dialectical journal as a tool for teaching critical thinking skills, and to assess middle school teachers' perception of critical thinking. Two groups of middle school students were split into one control and one experimental group. Both groups took a critical thinking test…

A comparative study was conducted to compare two approaches to engineering design curriculum between different schools (inter-school) and between two curricular approaches, "Project Lead the Way" (PLTW) and "Engineering Projects in Community Service" (EPIC High) (inter-curricular). The researchers collected curriculum…

This study evaluated the success of Teachers Teaching Teachers, an Indiana staff development model in its first implementation. The project consisted of a cadre of teachers from one school system who trained teachers from four other school systems. Participants were evaluated on nine Likert-type pre- and post-measures at each of the four training…

Educational and vocational plans and changing characteristics of Indiana high school seniors from 1966 to 1980 were studied. In 1966, 1969, 1972, and 1975, questionnaires were mailed to all public and private high schools in the state, while in 1980, a stratefied random sample was used. The response rate of the first four surveys was 54 percent or…